Pain Neuroscience Education in Physiotherapy Students With Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain

NCT ID: NCT07249710

Last Updated: 2025-11-25

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

79 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-04-01

Study Completion Date

2025-10-31

Brief Summary

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This study aims to examine the immediate effects of a single-session Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) program in physiotherapy students who experience chronic non-specific low back pain. The PNE session focuses on explaining pain mechanisms, central sensitization, and the role of psychological, cognitive, and behavioral factors in chronic pain. Participants complete outcome measures assessing pain intensity, pain knowledge, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia before and immediately after the intervention. The purpose of the study is to determine whether a brief educational session can produce immediate improvements in pain-related outcomes in a student population.

Detailed Description

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This study is a retrospective registration of a completed pre-post interventional study conducted among undergraduate physiotherapy students with chronic non-specific low back pain. The objective of the research was to evaluate the immediate effects of a single-session Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) program on pain intensity, pain knowledge, pain-related beliefs, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia.

The PNE session lasted approximately 70 minutes and was delivered by a physiotherapist trained in pain neuroscience and the biopsychosocial model. The session covered pain neurophysiology, the distinction between acute and chronic pain, central sensitization, factors contributing to persistent pain, and the role of cognition, emotions, and behaviors in pain experiences.

Participants completed self-report outcome measures at two time points:

Baseline (pre-intervention)

Immediately after the intervention

Outcome measures included the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (RNPQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK). The study followed a single-group design with no control group and no randomization.

The study was conducted between April and October 2025 at Karabük University, Turkey. Ethical approval was obtained from the Karabük University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Decision No: 2025/2208), and written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection.

The results of this research aim to contribute to the understanding of how pain neuroscience education may provide immediate benefits in young adults experiencing chronic non-specific low back pain, particularly within a physiotherapy student population. The findings may support the integration of pain education approaches in physiotherapy curricula and early clinical training programs.

Conditions

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Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain Physiotherapist Students

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Pain Neuroscience Education Group

Single-group intervention arm receiving a 70-minute Pain Neuroscience Education session. Outcome measures were collected at baseline and immediately after the intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The program consists of a single 70-minute Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) session, which includes explanations of pain neurophysiology, central sensitization, biopsychosocial pain concepts, and cognitive-behavioral factors influencing chronic pain. Delivered by a trained certified physiotherapist.

Interventions

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Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE)

The program consists of a single 70-minute Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) session, which includes explanations of pain neurophysiology, central sensitization, biopsychosocial pain concepts, and cognitive-behavioral factors influencing chronic pain. Delivered by a trained certified physiotherapist.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Undergraduate physiotherapy and rehabilitation students
* Chronic non-specific low back pain for at least 3 months
* Pain intensity ≥3/10 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale in the last week
* willing to participate

Exclusion Criteria

* History of back surgery within the last 6 months
* Presence of neurological, orthopedic, cardiac, or systemic chronic disease
* Current participation in any physiotherapy, exercise, or medical treatment for low back pain
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Ayşe ŞİMŞEK

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Ayşe ŞİMŞEK

Research Assistant, PhD Student

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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AYŞE ŞİMŞEK, MSc

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Karabuk University

Locations

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Karabük University Faculty of Health Sciences

Karabük, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status

Countries

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Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

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KBU-2025-2208

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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